Folding rocking-chair.



J. L. PEI'BRSL FOLDING RQGKING CHAIR. i APPLIOATIOI FILED MAY 17, 1909. 933,336. 3 v Patented Sept. 7. 1909.

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FOLDING ROCKING CHAIR. v 4 APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1909. 933,336. Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

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JEREMIAH L. PETERS, OF ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

FOLDING ROCKING-CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1969.

Application filed May 17', 1909. Serial No. 496,333.

one of its objects being to provide a chair of this character which is simple and'durable in construction, and which is provided with means whereby the various parts can be held against displacement after the chair has been set up for use, said holding means being of such a character as-to obviate the necessity of utilizing bolts, rods and similar devices in assembling the various parts of the chair.

Another object is to provide'simple means whereby the supporting or bracing devices can be securely held in position when set up.

A still further object is to provide a chair of this type which can be collapsed into a compact bundle, the improvements being applicable either to arm chairs and the like, or to rocking chairs.

With these and other objects in View the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred forms of the invention have been shown. r

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of a chair embodying the present improvements. Fig. 2 is a transverse section therethrough, one of the braces being shown lowered out of operative position. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the chair collapsed. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of chair.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1, 1 designate rockers connected adjacent their ends by cross-strips 2, on which are pivotally mounted front and rear legs 3 and 4 respectively. A seat 5 is pivotally mounted adjacent its corners upon the legs 3 and 4 and the rear legs extend upwardly and merge into side strips 6 which are connected by a back panel 7 interposed between them. The front legs 8 extend above the seat 5 and arms 8 are pivotally connected to the upper ends of these upwardly extending portions of the legs 3 and are also pivotally connected to the side strips 6. These arms and seat, together with the upper portions of the legs 3 and the adjoin ing portions of the strips 6, form parallelograms which thus permit the seat and the arms to swing toward or away from the back legs 4 of the chair.

Rock-bars 9 are interposed between the cross-strips 2 and are arranged parallel with the rockers 1, these bars being provided with trunnions 10 which bear within the strips 2. Each bar 9 has crossed braces 11 extending upwardly therefrom and connected at their upper ends by a strip 12, constituting heads on which the seat 5 is designed to bear. Cross-strips l3 connect the legs 3 and the legs tnear the upper ends thereof, these cross-strips constituting supports for the seat, the seat being attached to them, and said strips being journaled within the legs so as to; constitute the pivots of the seat. The inner or adjoining faces of the strips 13 are concaved longitudinally as indicated at 14:, the distance between the end portions of the opposed strips 13 being equal to the length of the heads 12. Spring clips 15 are secured to the bottom of the seat 5 and have angular end portions constituting heads l6,these heads being spaced from the side edges of the seat 5 distances equal to the thicknesses of the heads 12. Recesses 17 are formed within the bottom of the seat 5 and are so located as to receive the heads 16 when the springs 15 are pressed upwardly.

It is to beunderstood that the bracing frames formed by the bars 9, arms 11 and heads 12, are of less length than the distance between the rockers 1, it being obvious therefore that when the chair lapsed the springs 15 can be presssed out of the paths of the heads 12 and the said bracing frames swung downwardly into position between the rockers 1, there being a cross or connecting strip 18 secured to the rockers and which constitutes a support for the bracing frames. When the frames are thus located between the rockers the legs 3 and 4 can be swung backwardly upon their pivots and the seat 5 and the back 7 will thus be brought substantially into alinement and close to the rockers.

When it is desired to set up the chair for use the legs 3 and 4 are swung upwardly into positions substantially perpendicular to the plane occupied by the strips 2 and the bracing frames are then swung upwardly and is to be col.

outwardly. Inasmuch as the distance between the middle portions of the strips 13 is greater than the length of the heads 12, it will be apparent that these heads are free to move easily into position between the middle portions of said strips, but, as they are shifted outwardly toward the side edges of the seat 5, they gradually bind upon the concave faces of the strips 13 until the said heads are brought against the legs 3 and 4, which constitute stops therefor. When the heads assume these positions the springs 15 move downwardly automatically and into the paths of the heads, thus locking the bracing frames into position against the legs 3 and 4t and positively preventing the chair from folding.

Although the improvements are especially designed for use in connection with rocking chairs, it is to be understood that if preferred the rockers can be dispensed with as indicated in Fig. 4, the legs 3 and f thus being free to rest upon the floor.

A chair such as herein described is very simple and durable in construction, can be manufactured at slight cost, and is especially advantageous, because, after it has once been set up, there is absolutely no danger of the same collapsing. It will be noted that no bolts, rods, or other undesirable elements are utilized in the construction of the chair, and there are therefore no parts Y which can readily get out of order.

It is of course to be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

What is claimed is 1. A chair including legs, a seat pivotally connected thereto, arms above the seat and pivotally connected to the legs, said legs be ing disposed to swing backwardly and forwardly with relation to the seat, and laterally movable means pivotally supported by the legs and shiftable against the seat to hold the legs and seat against movement.

2. A chair including front and rear legs, a seat pivotally connected thereto and sup ported thereby, arms pivotally connected to the legs, said legs being arranged to swing backwardly and forwardly with relation to the seat and arms, bracing elements pivotally supported by the legs and mounted to swing laterally with relation thereto, said arms being shiftable against the seat to hold the seat and legs against relative movement, and means for locking said elements in holding position.

3. A chair including front and rear legs mounted for swinging movement, a seat pivotally supported by the legs, bracing ele ments pivotally supported by the legs and mounted to swing about an axis extending perpendicularly to the axes of the legs, said elements being shiftable against the seat to hold the seat and legs against relative movement.

4. A chair including front and rear legs, a seat pivotally connected thereto and supported thereby, bracing elements pivotally supported by the legs, the axes of rotation of said elements being arranged at right angles to the axes of the legs, said elements being shiftable against the seat and legs to hold the same against independent movement.

' 5. A chair including front and rear legs, pivotal connections between the legs, said legs being disposed to swing backwardly and forwardly, bracing elements pivotally supported by the legs and mounted to swing laterally and upwardly into contact with the legs and one of said connections to hold the legs against movement upon the connections.

6. A chair including front and rear legs, connections therebetween and pivotally connected thereto, bracing frames pivotally supported by the legs and shiftable laterally against one of said connections to hold the legs and connections against independent swinging movement, and means carried by said last mentioned connections for locking the frames in holding position.

7 A chair including connected front legs, connected rear legs, upper and lower pivotal connections between the front and rear legs, bracing elements pivotally supported by the lower connection, said elements being shiftable laterally and upwardly against the upper connection to hold the legs and connection against independent movement.

8. A folding chair including connected front legs, connected rear legs, upper and lower connections between the front and rear legs, said legs being disposed to swing with relation to the connections, bracing frames pivotally supported by the lower connections, the axes of movement of the said frames being disposed at right angles to the axes of the legs, said frames being shiftable upwardly and outwardly against the upper connections to hold the legs and connections against independent movement, and means for automatically securing said frames in holding position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JEREMIAH L. PETERS.

Witnesses E. HUME TALBERT, HERBERT D. LAWSON. 

